From 1996 to 2001, David Missita served as an expeditionary airfield systems technician in the United States Marine Corps. The title “expeditionary airfield systems technician” refers to a military occupational specialty (MOS) in the Marine Corps. Marines like David Missita are each assigned an MOS that determines the specific role that they will fulfill while serving in the military.

Military occupational specialties in the Marine Corps are grouped into occupational fields according to the type of work that they require. Occupational fields range from the well-known infantry specialties to lesser-known specialties such as traffic management, public affairs, and food service. In addition to the regular duties performed by all marines, each marine regularly performs the tasks associated with the individual MOS assigned. The technical training given to each marine for his or her particular specialty allows the Marine Corps to perform the wide variety of tasks and activities related to its day-to-day functions.

For nearly 12 years, David Missita has worked in the field of inventory control and workshop management at retail and electronics stores. After years deployed on aircraft carriers in service of the US Marines as an Expeditionary Airfield Systems Technician, David Missita received an honorable medical discharge in 2001 for a severe workplace injury. Since that time, he has further developed his skills in inventory control management.

Inventory control is a specialty area of business administration for documenting, storing, locating, and retrieving objects or materials. In an effort to optimize workplace efficiency, inventory control managers often use barcodes or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to automate inward- or outward-bound objects or materials, thus providing immediate identification for record keeping and accounting purposes. Inventory control systems often include the use of handheld scanners, networked workstations or terminal PCs, tablets or other handheld computers, storage and packing tools, and much more. The primary mission of an inventory control manager is to ensure that all inventory, be it materials or products, is at the required levels for seamless workflow and business operation.

When he served in the United States Marine Corps, David Missita worked in the field of aircraft recovery; he assumed responsibility for assisting the safe take-off and landing of jet fighters on aircraft carriers.

Carriers solve one of the persistent challenges of modern warfare: locating air bases close enough to be effective in combat. While many nations do not allow the U.S. to launch aircraft from their soil, carriers can take their planes virtually anywhere on the oceans. Currently the U.S. maintains six carrier groups around the world.

A flight crew, such as the one David Missita belonged to, can launch or recover an aircraft in 25 seconds. The action on the flight deck, the runway of the ship, is fast, intense, and dangerous. One false step near a jet with engines running can hurl a crewman into the ocean. Landing on a carrier involves the use of a tailhook to snag an aircraft in the short space of the flight deck.

David Missita is a big fan of the Carolina Panthers. David Missita recalls the day in October 1993 when the National Football League selected the Panthers as its 29th team and the first expansion team since 1976.

It took six years for owner Jerry Richardson to achieve this milestone. In 1987, he began discussions with potential supporters about an NFL franchise for the Carolinas and then formally announced a team bid. Late in 1989, Richardson selected a spot in Charlotte for a 70,000-seat stadium.

Richardson recruited elected officials from both states to promote the new team to NFL owners. Exhibition games in the Carolinas brought in enthusiastic fans.

In 1992, NFL owners cut the number of potential expansion teams from 11 to five, with the Panthers still under consideration. A labor dispute postponed the decision until the next year. Richardson sold permanent seat licenses and skyboxes to finance the construction of the stadium.

The team has had its ups and downs over the years. Perhaps the most memorable game occurred during the 1996 playoffs, when the Panthers contended for the National Football Conference championship, only to lose to the Green Bay Packers 30-13.

When traveling to a foreign country, many individuals bring along a book of vocabulary and common phrases. For those looking to truly learn a new language, a few words and phrases only mark the beginning of an exciting new journey.

Whether completing homework assignments or studying from a book, do not simply read new information. Read the words aloud so your mind and mouth can connect your visual memory, which studies spelling and composition, to your auditory memory, which invokes muscle memory in your mouth. Write down your answers and vocalize them to commit new lessons to memory.

Try to view each lesson you complete as a foundation for what comes next. In order to build a new layer of understanding, your foundation must remain solid. Before beginning a new lesson, go back and review your old material; vocalize and write it out to gain momentum before entering the next phase of learning. The more often you review, the easier new material will settle atop your foundation.

About the Author

Before entering the U.S. Marine Corps in 1996, David Missita studied Spanish extensively in high school and excelled in the courses. During his time in the service, Mr. Missita drew upon his foreign language skills to communicate while stationed in California and Washington, D.C.

Q: What are some of the primary functions of an Aircraft Launch and Recovery Tech?A: The duties of an aircraft technician tend to change depending on the day’s itinerary, but encompass several standard operations. When a base prepares to launch or recover an aircraft, the techs operate equipment such as barricades, arresting gear, and steam and hydraulic catapults, among others.

Q: What specifics does a landing operation involve?A: Besides operating equipment, an Aircraft Launch and Recovery Technician shares similarities with an air traffic controller. For example, techs control visual landing aids to help the vehicle touch down safely on land-based airfields and aircraft carriers.

Q: What are the particulars of recovering an aircraft, and maintaining one after it lands?A: Teams of technicians takes apart equipment such as catapults and arresting gear. Additionally, they know how to replace faulty parts using a wide array of hand tools.

Q: Do technicians stick to operations, or take on other duties?A: Besides getting their hands dirty on aircraft and other equipment, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Technicians are responsible for logging launches and recoveries, and recording maintenance details. They also direct launches and recoveries.

About the Author

During his time in the United States Marine Corps, David Missita served as an Aircraft Launch and Recovery Technician. Before his honorable discharge in 2001, he received the Good Conduct medal.